Dicellophilus pulcher ( Kishida, 1928 )

Tsukamoto, Sho & Eguchi, Katsuyuki, 2024, Integrative taxonomy of Dicellophilus Cook, 1896 (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Mecistocephalidae) in Japan, with a description of a new species, Zoosystematics and Evolution 100 (3), pp. 821-840 : 821-840

Dicellophilus pulcher ( Kishida, 1928)

Figs 14 , 15 , 16

Mecistocephalus pulcher Kishida, 1928 : Kishida 1928, 300.

Dicellophilus latifrons : Takakuwa 1934 a, 707; Takakuwa 1934 b, 355; Takakuwa 1934 c, 878.

Dicellophilus japonicus : Verhoeff 1934, 32.

Tygarrup monoporus : Shinohara 1961, 212.

Dicellophilus pulcher : Uliana et al. 2007, 27; Bonato et al. 2010, 525.

DI.

Dicellophilus sp. 0000-0003 - 3020 - 8454 _ 0068

Material examined.

See Table 1 .

Diagnosis.

Mainly based on Bonato et al. (2010 a), Uliana et al. (2007), and the present study. Trunk segments without dark patches; head 1.2–1.4 times as long as wide (Fig. 14 A, B ); lateral margin of cephalic plate abruptly converged posteriorly; clypeus with densely scattered setae (Fig. 14 B ); paraclypeal suture evidently converging posteriorly (Fig. 14 B ); both ends of transverse suture convexed forward (Fig. 14 A ); mandible with 5–7 lamellae; forcipular trochanteroprefemur almost as long as wide, with one small distal denticle (Fig. 15 A, B ); forcipular tarsungulum with evident and variably spaced notches; metatergite subtrapezoidal (Fig. 16 A ); metasternite trapezoidal, longer than wide (Fig. 16 B ); forty-one pairs of legs.

Type locality.

The first section of the Subashiri trail of Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka Pref., Japan ( Kishida 1928).

Distribution.

Honshu (Fukushima Pref. to Hyogo Pref.).

Remarks.

See remarks and the diagnosis of D. praetermissus sp. nov. for confirming how to distinguish D. pulcher from D. praetermissus sp. nov.

There are three junior synonyms under D. pulcher , which were synonymized by previous authors based on morphological examination ( Takakuwa 1940; Shinohara 1983; Uliana et al. 2007): D. latifrons Takakuwa, 1934 ; D. japonicus Verhoeff, 1934 ; Tygarrup monoporus Shinohara, 1961 . Dicellophilus latifrons Takakuwa, 1934 , which was described in a key to Japanese and Taiwanese species of Mecistocephalidae by Takakuwa (1934 a), was later described by Takakuwa (1934 b, c) as a new species. Takakuwa (1934 a) did not designate a type locality for D. latifrons , and Takakuwa (1934 b, c) listed the localities: “ Kaibara (Hyogo) ” (= Tamba City, Hyogo Pref.), “ Masudo (bei Tokyo) ” (possibly misread of Masuko-mura, currently in Akiruno-shi, Tokyo Pref.), “ Komono (Miye) ” (= Komono-cho, Mie Pref.), “ Ikao (Gumma) ” (= Ikahocho, Shibukawa-shi, Gunma Pref.), “ Ōta (Gumma) ” (= Ota-shi, Gunma Pref.), “ Odawara (Kanagawa) ” and “ Suwa (Nagano) ” (annotated by Jonishi and Nakano 2022). Considering the geographic distribution of D. latifrons and D. pulcher sensu stricto, D. latifrons is a junior synonym of D. pulcher . Dicellophilus japonicus Verhoeff, 1934 , was described based on a specimen from “ Tokyo ” ( Verhoeff 1934) and later regarded as a junior synonym of D. latifrons based on the comparison of diagnostic characteristics ( Takakuwa 1940; Shinohara 1983). Considering the geographic distribution of D. japonicus and D. pulcher and the phylogenetic analyses of the present study, including TS 20181214-01 , TS 20191006-02 , TS 20210401-03 , and TS 20210819-01 from Tokyo Pref., it is not conflicting that D. japonicus is a junior synonym of D. pulcher . Tygarrup monoporus Shinohara, 1961 , which is identical to the juvenile of D. pulcher , according to Uliana et al. (2007), was described based on the specimen from Manazuru-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Pref. ( Shinohara 1961). Considering the geographic distribution of T. monoporus and D. pulcher and the phylogenetic analyses of the present study, including TS 20210728-02 , which was collected at a linear distance of approximately 13 km from the type locality and could be identified as T. monoporus , T. monoporus can also be regarded as a junior synonym of D. pulcher .

Figures

Figure 14. Dicellophilus pulcher (TS 20210504-01). A. Cephalic plate, dorsal; B. Clypeus, and clypeal pleurite, ventral. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 15. Dicellophilus pulcher (TS 20210504-01). A. Forcipular segment, dorsal; B. Forcipular segment, ventral. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 16. Dicellophilus pulcher (TS 20210504-01). A. Ultimate leg-bearing segment and postpedal segment, dorsal; B. Ultimate leg-bearing segment and postpedal segment, ventral. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.